Current Fridge Protein & Leftover Inventory (Start of Day)
Grilled chicken breast
Homemade beef summer sausage (small bit leftover)
Brats (uncooked)
Steak leftovers from Sunday night
Gluten-free pasta salad
Regular pasta salad
Fresh produce and salad ingredients
Birthday cake leftovers
Morning — Smoothies, Bacon, and Cereal
This morning was a simple breakfast.
We did:
- smoothies
- bacon
- cereal
Nothing fancy, just one of those practical breakfasts that gets everyone moving.
After we did our summer homeschool work my teen and 11 year old tried making homemade bath bombs. To say it was funny is an understatement. They had a GREAT time trying 2 recipes and just making a fun mess. If the bath bombs work I’ll post the recipe, but right now they’re still kind of wet and need to dry out before they can try it out!
Lunch — Using Up the Last of the Weekend Food
Lunch was a little different for everyone.
The kids finished off the last of the pizza leftovers.
My teen made herself a taco bowl using:
- Spanish rice
- loaf pan chicken breast
That officially finished off the loaf pan chicken from the weekend.
For my lunch, I made one of those giant salads that starts with whatever vegetables need to be used.
I combined:
- coleslaw mix
- red onion
- cucumber
- peppers
Then I made my favorite quick dressing:
- avocado salsa
- regular salsa
- garlic powder
- splash of vinegar
I know it sounds unusual, but I use avocado salsa and regular salsa together all the time as a dressing base.
For protein, I reheated some grilled chicken in a pan with:
- a little oil
- barbecue sauce
Then added that on top.
It sounds like a strange combination, but it was surprisingly good.
Afternoon — Sugar Snap Pea Picking
This afternoon we headed to a local farm to pick sugar snap peas.
At this point I’ve accepted that I can grow:
- raspberries
- flowers
And that’s about it.
The vegetables always seem to lose the battle against weather, wildlife, or something else.
So instead of fighting it, we went somewhere that already had beautiful sugar snap peas ready to pick.
Daphne absolutely loved it and probably ate her weight in sugar snap peas while we were there.
Before we left, I knew everyone would be hungry, so I made a tray of chicken nuggets to eat on the drive to the farm.
The kids each got bowls of nuggets and ketchup for the drive, which worked perfectly as a substantial snack before we spent time out at the farm.
Dinner — Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Fresh Sugar Snap Peas
Pork Tenderloin
I grilled two pork tenderloins.
Seasoning:
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- Italian seasoning
I cooked them until they reached about 135°F internally and then let them rest for at least ten minutes before slicing.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
For the potatoes:
- diced potatoes
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- smoked paprika
- Italian seasoning
I roasted them at 400 degrees until they started crisping.
Then I smashed them with the bottom of a glass and returned them to the oven.
That second roast creates all those crispy edges my kids love.
Sugar Snap Peas
My favorite part of dinner was the sugar snap peas.
I heated a skillet until it was blazing hot and added:
- bacon grease
- a little olive oil
Then the sugar snap peas went in and cooked until they started developing browned, blistered spots.
Only after that did I add:
- splash of sesame oil
- liquid aminos
- garlic powder
The flavor combination is incredible.
Sweet.
Savory.
A little smoky.
I could easily eat an entire pan by myself.
And tonight I nearly did.
Dessert
A little leftover birthday cake made an appearance tonight.
One of the perks of birthday week.
Post-Dinner / Looking Ahead
What’s in the fridge now:
Leftover pork tenderloin (a full tenderloin)
Grilled chicken breast
Homemade beef summer sausage (very small amount)
Brats (uncooked)
Gluten-free pasta salad (small amount)
Regular pasta salad
Birthday cake leftovers
Fresh produce
Tomorrow will likely feature:
- grilled chicken
- brat bites
- or possibly some ground beef pulled from the freezer
I’m a little ahead of my normal food rhythm because I did Costco on Thursday instead of the weekend, but that’s completely fine. The fridge is stocked, proteins are rotating well, and we’re in a great position heading into the rest of the week.